LITTLETON — Corporate tech giant Amazon announced its second quarter sales increased by 20% back in June — up to $63.4 billion as the company continues to pump resources into artificial intelligence and streaming services.

Yet, somehow, a $30,000 settlement from a little Littleton start-up was not enough appease the billion dollar, publicly traded company.

Amazon declined a settlement offer from family-owned tech startup Lifestyle Evolution last month, emails between the startup and corporation show, as Amazon challenged the local entrepreneurship over their product name “Smart Alex” during the previous year.

The proposed settlement was over $30,000, George and Robert Colantuoni said. Amazon claimed the smart life product for senior citizen is too close to its well-known product, “Alexa,” public records show.

“Well the initial anger has long ago subsided, but we were of course disappointed,” George and Robert Colantuoni said in an email. “We do view this an opportunity, a way to have a new beginning and learn from any mistakes we may have made the first time. We certainly will not let this impede our progress of bringing smart technology to seniors.”

Amazon attorney Rob LeBlanc did not return calls for comment Friday. Amazon did not return emails for comment.

“Smart Alex” — which is now being re-branded and renamed, George said — would initially allow users to dim lights, check video surveillance, lock doors and turn off sinks through a smart tablet. The technology would also allow senior citizens to speak to other older residents as well as contact their doctor in case of an emergency.

The cousins said there is no voice option, a key distinction between their product and “Alexa”.

“They’re trying to protect their brand,” co-founder Robert Colantuoni told The Sun in August. “I understand. I’ve had experience at other work places I’ve been at where people infringe on your brand because they want to leverage the marketing done or whatever. This clearly isn’t the case. We are nowhere near that. We don’t use a voice agent.

“In my opinion, I think it’s a stretch,” he added.

The patented fight cost the small company about $75,000, the cousins said in August. The cousins said they would “never win in court” against Amazon, but are now focused on their brand and new product.

“We know we could never win in court, but we can win where it really counts: helping seniors age-in-place for as long as possible, whatever our name is,” they said in an email.

“It was pretty amazing,” said George over the phone Friday, adding that he was not expecting to have his face on NECN. “We didn’t know it was going to blow up like this.”

George said Amazon isn’t the only corporate company that challenges small businesses across the country, as he said the family will continue to work on a product they are passionate about.

“Most people see our situation as a microcosm of what is happening in our society in general, as mega-corporations now seek to control all of our choices, including who our government officials are, what type of healthcare we can have and where we shop,” George and Robert said in an email. “The American dream of owning your own business and helping society may not be dead, but it is most certainly on life support.”